2nd Sunday of Advent
Year A
7 December 2025
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And with your spirit.
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT CANDLE
Commentator: The second candle is the candle of Faith or the Bethlehem Candle. It reminds us of the Holy Family's experience in Bethlehem. The colour of the second Advent candle is associated with royalty and reminds us that Christ is the "King of Kings." We await the coming of a new king from Bethlehem.
Fr James: Lord Jesus, your coming was proclaimed by the prophets of old. The prophet Isaiah calls us to be a signal to the nations and to recognise the Messiah in our midst.
All: Come Lord Jesus.
Fr James: Lord Jesus, you come among us now. St Paul reminds us to treat each other as Christ treats us and so give glory to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
All: Come Lord Jesus.
Fr James: Lord Jesus, you will come again in glory. John the Baptist calls us to ‘repent for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.’
All: Come, Lord Jesus.
Candle of Hope and Candle of Faith are lit
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God,
may no earthly undertaking hinder those
who set out in haste to meet your Son,
but may our learning of heavenly wisdom
gain us admittance to his company.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Isaiah 11:1-10
A reading from the prophet Isaiah
He judges the poor with justice.
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse,
a scion thrusts from his roots:
on him the spirit of the Lord rests,
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of counsel and power,
a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(The fear of the Lord is his breath.)
He does not judge by appearances,
he gives no verdict on hearsay,
but judges the wretched with integrity,
and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.
His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless;
his sentences bring death to the wicked.
Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,
faithfulness the belt about his hips.
The wolf lives with the lamb,
the panther lies down with the kid,
calf and lion cub feed together with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together.
The lion eats straw like the ox.
The infant plays over the cobra's hole;
into the viper's lair the young child puts his hand.
They do no hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain,
for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters swell the sea.
That day, the root of Jesse
shall stand as a signal to the peoples.
It will be sought out by the nations
and its home will be glorious.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Ps 71:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
R. Justice shall flourish in his time,
and fullness of peace for ever.
O God, give your judgement to the king,
to a king's son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice
and your poor in right judgement. R.
In his days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails:
He shall rule from sea to sea,
from the Great River to earth's bounds. R.
For he shall save the poor when they cry
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak
and save the lives of the poor. R.
May his name be blessed for ever
and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him,
all nations bless his name. R.
Romans 15:4-9
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Romans
Christ, the hope of all people.
Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God. And may he who helps us when we refuse to give up, help you all to be tolerant with each other, following the example of Christ Jesus, so that united in mind and voice you may give glory to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It can only be to God's glory, then, for you to treat each other in the same friendly way as Christ treated you. The reason Christ became the servant of circumcised Jews was not only so that God could faithfully carry out the promises made to the patriarchs, it was also to get the pagans to give glory to God for his mercy, as scripture says in one place: For this I shall praise you among the pagans and sing your name.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Luke 3:4, 6
Alleluia, alleluia!
Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths:
all people shall see the salvation of God. Alleluia!
Matthew 3:1-12
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.' This was the man the prophet spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness:
Prepare a way for the Lord,
make his paths straight.
This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, 'Brood of vipers, who warned you to fly from the retribution that is coming? But if you are repentant, produce the appropriate fruit, and do not presume to tell yourselves, "We have Abraham for our father," because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree which fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who follows me is more powerful than I am, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.'
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
At the words that follow, up to and including 'the Virgin Mary', all bow.
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
Presider: God of compassion, because your kingdom is at hand we have renewed confidence that you are near to hear our prayers and answer them.
That the leaders of the Church inspire and help God's People to prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths, (pause) In faith we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
That the leaders of our nation and other nations promote justice and peace to their people, (pause) In faith we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
That all of us who worship together may respond generously and gratefully to John the Baptist's call to repent, (pause) In faith we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
That those who have left the Church may be encouraged by our good example and prayers to return to this community of faith, hope and love, (pause) In faith we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
That the ill, the aged, and those who have serious problems, especially those mentioned in the bulletin, may find help and support through our outreach to those in need, (pause) In faith we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for the recently deceased ……. and for those whose anniversaries occur around this time including ….. that they will take their place at the table of the eternal banquet (pause) In faith we pray:
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Presider: God of life and love, as we prepare our hearts and our homes for Christmas help us to welcome your Son Jesus who brings us forgiveness, joy and peace. We ask this in the name of the same Jesus who lives with you and with us, forever and ever. Amen.
Pray, brethren (brothers and sisters), that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God, the almighty Father.
May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands
for the praise and glory of his name,
for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.
Be pleased, O Lord, with our humble prayers and offerings,
and, since we have no merits to plead our cause,
come, we pray, to our rescue
with the protection of your mercy.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right and just.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord.
For he assumed at his first coming
the lowliness of human flesh,
and so fulfilled the design you formed long ago,
and opened for us the way to eternal salvation,
that, when he comes again in glory and majesty
and all is at last made manifest,
we who watch for that day
may inherit the great promise
in which now we dare to hope.
And so, with Angels and Archangels,
with Thrones and Dominions,
and with all the hosts and Powers of heaven,
we sing the hymn of your glory,
as without end we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
THE MYSTERY OF FAITH
Save us, Saviour of the world,
for by your Cross and Resurrection
you have set us free.”
Let us pray.
Replenished by the food of spiritual nourishment,
we humbly beseech you, O Lord,
that, through our partaking in this mystery,
you may teach us to judge wisely the things of earth
and hold firm to the things of heaven.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.
Go forth, the Mass is ended.
Thanks be to God.
© The scriptural quotations are taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton Longman and Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Co Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. The English translation of the Psalm Responses, the Alleluia and Gospel Verses, and the Lenten Gospel Acclamations, and the Titles, Summaries, and Conclusion of the Readings, from the Lectionary for Mass © 1997, 1981, 1968, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. The prayers are from the English Translation of the Roman Missal © 2010 International Committee on English in the Liturgy Inc. (ICEL). All rights reserved.